How statement abs became the new thigh gap

The prized hollow of the ab crack has become the defining body obsession in the era of the crop top and the sports bra. Thanks for that, Taylor Swift

Fashion has a new version of the chicken-and-egg question, and it goes like this: which came first, the crop top or the ab crack?

If you don’t know what an ab crack is, allow me to enlighten you. It is the hollow that runs vertically down the centre of the abdominal muscles, from the breastbone to the tummy button – but only if those abdominal muscles are extremely toned, and the shape of the musculature revealed by very low levels of body fat. If you want to see an ab crack in all its glory, head to the Instagram pages of Emily Ratajkowski, or Kendall Jenner, or either Hadidsister. Although, be warned: you may find yourself overwhelmed by nostalgia for the relatively forgiving age of the thigh gap.